₦airaland Forum

K9blunt:
That gigi got me tearing up real bad!


Am sure that dog was meant for you, it came to you for mysterious but good reasons..... What your landlords did was totally ignorant and inhumane...


All in all, doctor I hail you and encourage you to keep up the good work.... I can count how many passionate vets we have in this country that if not for you I would've said null!

Thank you. I believe though that there are a number of passionate vets in Nigeria. I am just one out of many.

buharisbae:
hehe don't lie u were scared when he was running towards u

Not really. It happened too fast for my fear reflexes to kick in. Though a couple of times in my veterinary career, I've had close shaves that were frightening.

#dogchronicles #day11

"Dr. Bakare, good morning, please can I see Petra?" Those dreaded words changed my morning.

Petra's human was a first time dog owner. She bought the puppy without even knowing it's breed let alone how to take care of her. What she lacked in knowledge though she more than made up for in zeal and love.

So when she came to us with a 6-week old puppy (whom she named Petra) we spent a great deal of time educating and explaining dog care to her. Her love and devotion to Petra was admirable and many times before we reminded her of vaccinations and deworming appointments she would have brought Petra to the clinic.

It was therefore an unhappy day when she brought Petra to the clinic with complaints of diarrhoea. Based on Petra's age and the fact that her DHLPP vaccinations weren't completed we were immediately wary and tested for Parvovirus (a fatal viral disease seen most often in young and unvaccinated puppies). Fortunately and to our utmost joy, she tested negative. We initiated supportive therapy while awaiting results of other tests.
Two mornings later I arrived at the clinc to discover that we had lost Petra during the night. I was extremely sad. As I was about to call Petra's human to update her about her puppy, she arrived. I must admit that moment is still one of my worst moments in veterinary practice.

She asked to see Petra and I gave her the grave news. I was not prepared for what happened next. She started wailing hystericaly and screaming, "No, no, no, not my Petra!" I tried to console her but she was inconsolable. "Petra how can you do this to me?" she lamented.

After a few minutes she asked to see Petra and I obliged her. On sighting Petra, she collapsed, weeping profusely. Her wails were so loud that our neighbours ran into the clinic alarmed. I have never seen a client mourn the loss of her dog like she did that day. We consoled her till her wails became sobs.
Much later she gave me a call and asked me to kindly send her pictures of Petra that I had taken previously. I was so glad to and I did.

Petra's human might not have known much about dogs but one thing was certain, Petra was loved.

Benbobola:
Dr. Bakare right? If you are, we attended ISI. Lovely job you are doing here. Thumbs up.

Yup! That's me! Thanks a lot.

uchpanila:
is there no other way except shaving the whole fur?

His fur was matted to his skin in most places. Shaving off most and leaving the rest would have left Scout looking funny and shown unprofessionalism on our part.
His fur grew back in less than 2 months.

#dogchronicles #day10

One sunny day in November, I received a call from my boss asking me to go treat some dogs for a client I wasn't familiar with.

On getting there I was introduced to one of the dogs-Scout, one of the most aggressive Caucasians I have ever met. With the help of his handler, I was able to deworm and vaccinate him. I discovered though that as a result of his extreme aggression, his fur was overgrown and heavily matted (it was a chore to take him to the vet as only the handler could get close to him). I suggested to his human to have him groomed, she was ok with my suggestion, if I could figure out a way to take him to the clinic.

A few days later, I arrived at Scout's domain to get him to the clinic. I had to sedate him first which was an ordeal in itself. His fur was so thick, I wasn't sure the entire sedative got into his system and that was my biggest fear. I chose to trust my guts though and we waited. Thankfully, in 15minutes he was tranquilized. Hurriedly, we bundled him into the car and off we went to the clinic.

At the clinic we set to work immediately, snipping off, cutting and shaving. His fur was so badly matted that we had to shave off everything. At a point, Scout began to rouse, so I gave him another shot of sedatives and we continued. That was the last shot I could give him as any more would have been an overdose. So we had to make quick work of the grooming.

By the time we got to his head, we had spent 3hours. By then, I was the only one left, my colleague and the vet tech had to go attend to another dog. I had to remove the muzzle so as to get a clean cut of his face and muzzle, I was snipping away happily and didnt realize dear Scout was awake, the next thing I heard was a growl and snap of the jaws. Thank God for quick reflexes!!! I jumped away and called for help. Dear Scout was awake and angry,ready for us! Fortunately, the tranquilizers hadnt worn off completely so he wasn't back to his full strength. We got him down from the table, took him outside and that marked the end of Scout's grooming. Thankfully 99% of the fur was off.

Scout was so angry at being conquered that after that day I became Scout's sworn enemy.

olamilekan360:
I urgently need the service of a vet doctor to look into the health status of my pregnant horse. She's due for birth already and she has being foaling for over a month now... Need urgent help from any qualified vet doctor or anyone who can recommend one for me. Payment involved... Transport will be covered financially.... In lagos

Hi. I'm a vet. Do contact me: 07055250210.

#dogchronicles #day9

One September evening, I came home from work to hear a funny sound outside my apartment. I listened for a bit then decided to go investigate.On opening my door, I looked surreptitiously to the right then left before my gaze landed on the object of the commotion. A puppy. A mongrel.

Bewildered as to how the puppy got to be there, I asked my neighbours and they had no clue as well. Seeing that the puppy was obviously cold I took it, examined quickly and brought her( the puppy was female ) onto my balcony.She seemed to be in good condition save the cold and hunger. Improvising, I laid a cereal box on the floor so she wouldn't get cold and went to get her something to eat.I decided to name her Gigi.

By the time I brought her food, Gigi was gone. I was slightly alarmed.I quickly checked around and found her in a little corner just outside my place (where I found her initially).I carried her back to the niche I had created for her, gave her milk with a little glucose and kibble (dry dog food).The way she lapped up the milk confirmed my assumptions.She sniffed the kibble but didn't eat it. After two servings of milk, I gave her water.One taste had her turning up her nose at it. I laughed. I understood her reaction, it wasn't as sweet as the milk.I covered her up when she fell asleep and went inside to attend to other matters.

After a while, I checked up on her and this time taught her to eat the kibble because I guessed she was probably still hungry.I gave her one bit at a time; the moment she got a hang of it, she almost finished the bowl I gave her in minutes.

The next day, I asked around again but nobody knew Gigi's human or if she was a stray.So I kept her and fed her again. She peed on my balcony and I was thinking that I had to train her when my landlord and his wife happened to pass by.They asked about her and I explained how I discovered her.The moment they found out Gigi was female, they took sticks, chased her off all the while shouting and praying that whatever evil intentions Gigi had would be foiled. My landlord belongs to a tribe in Nigeria called the Ikweres. You see the Ikweres abhor bitches. To this day I wonder what became of my Gigi.

dogchronicles #day8

Where do I start with Max? Sometimes last year, I was introduced to a very aggressive boerboel called Max. He had a small growth on his left hindlimb that his human was uncomfortable with. The growth was surgically removed. The surgery was successful and Max stayed with us for a couple more weeks for post operative care.

Max was recovering beautifully (or so we thought) and eating voraciously.
We assured his human that he would be ready to go home in a couple of days. Alas! it was not to be.
One afternoon, as I was checking the surgery site, I ran my hands over his body and to my utmost amazement I discovered several lumps of varying sizes all across his body-from his dorsum(back) to his head. I was alarmed!

Quickly, I informed my boss who in turn informed Max's human and with his permission we immediately initiated chemotherapy. You see, the growth was actually a form of malignant cancer and we could only hope and pray that Max will survive.

Max's human is one of the best clients I have had the pleasure of working with. His love for Max is unparallelled and commendable. He kept pleading with us to try our best because Max meant so much to him. We reasurred him while letting him know Max's prognosis were guarded.

What surpised me the most I must say was Max's appetite. I honestly believe his voracious appetite went a long way in his healing process. My Goodness! Max could eat for Africa! I have honestly never seen any dog eat as much as Max does.

Days turned into weeks; weeks into months and "the 'Lion' became a 'goat' ". That was the slang we coined for an aggressive dog that became docile after staying with us for a while. Finally, Max was ready to go home. The day I called Max's human to tell him that Max could be discharged was one of my most rewarding days in veterinary practice.

sophy17:
I read through your write up and I am impressed. I want to buy another rott having just lost the one I bought about a month ago to parvo virus but more because of the attitude of the Vets I am exposed to. Three of them actually. So,I am patiently waiting to get a reliable Vet before getting another rott puppy. Please share your location here mine is Cele egbe, agodo, lagos. Please keep up the good work.

Sorry about the loss of your Rott. I'm based in Ibadan. You can contact me on 07055250210.

#dogchronicles #day7

I met Cooper- an adult Lhasa Apso during my service year. I remember that the first thing my pastor said when he learnt that I was a veterinarian was "I have a dog and I will like for you to come check him out". To which I replied, "No problem sir".

So on the appointed day, I arrived at my pastor's house and was greeted by this bundle of joy called Cooper. Quick and agile, that Cooper. I quickly scooped him up and cuddled him. While trying to play with him I raised my hand to pat his head and he snarled suddenly. Quickly I retrieved my hand but it was too late. Cooper was angry. He jumped off my legs and continued snarling wanting to bite me. Just like that. His mood had changed. I had never seen such a thing before. From cuddly furry to angry furry in a moment. Amazing!
The maid (his major caretaker) tried and succeded in calming him down. Thank God. Though he ran and stayed under the car till I left.

The next time I paid Cooper a visit was to groom him. He was his usual bubbly, kissing self, trying to lick my lips and chin. While grooming, I inadvertently raised my hand over his head and zap, he almost bit off my fingers. Thankfully, I was fast and quickly calmed him down.
I realized then that he had a thing with his head very similar to some Nigerians. His head was a no-go area and I learnt to avoid it like the plague.

I also learnt during this visit that Cooper was a one-dog; one-food kind of dog. What do i mean? For the first time in my life, I saw someone throw a piece of meat at a healthy dog and the dog didn't even sniff it let alone eat it. Wow! Interesting, I thought. That's when his handler informed me that he only ever eats Golden Morn. How so? They had tried all other kinds of dog food to no avail. So they stopped and stuck to the Golden Morn he obviously always enjoyed.

Although I never saw Cooper again after my service year, sometimes I wonder why he was so averse to head patting. I could only conclude that he must have had a bad experience.

festaclanre:
I will like have you contact

You can contact me on 07055250210.

derbybliz:
Madam, I must say am so impressed...Don's story made me so emotional....#keepUpTheGoodWork

Awww... .Thank you sir.

Iluv:
You know, asides being a vet, i think you should take to writing. You would do well with fantasy stories. You sure do know how to put your readers in suspense.

Thanks sir. I sure will consider that.

#dogchronicles #day6

Sometime in 2015, a regular client of ours asked us to help him select a puppy from a breeder. The 2 dogs presented to us were Caucasian-Mix breed. My boss and I had a look at both dogs and selected one.

Afterwards, I called our client to ask what he would like to name his new pup so I could register him appropriately. I was not prepared for his reply. He said, "No, no, no, I don't name my dogs." What? "Sir, a dog has to have a name," I told him. "They are social creatures, they need a form of identification". I then proceeded to inform him that I was going to name the puppy and he told me that he didn't care either ways. I named him DON.

Don came for his routine vaccinations and deworming as at when due and we bonded.Some months down the line, Don's human asked me to go to his house(home service) to routinely deworm his dogs. When I got there, his gatekeeper asked me to wait outside while he went to lock up the dogs in their kennels. I tried to tell him it wasn't necessary as I knew the dogs but he insisted saying that their most aggressive dog was outside as well and once the said dog saw me, he would pounce.The client's teenage children also corroborated the story begging me to stay outside for my own good. So i stayed.Finally, I was asked to come in. I did and started treating the dogs.

The dogs having sensed that someone had come in started barking ferociously.Then out of the blues, a dog started running towards me. The kids screamed. It was the most aggressive dog. They themselves were scared of him and had taken to their heels when they noticed him running. Apparently, he had let himself loose and was bouncing towards me-the supposed stranger. I noticed him too late as I was busy treating another dog when he escaped from his kennel. I turned when I heard the maguard screaming, "Don, Don, Don!". Don? He was so big I hadn't recognized him. But it was too late then, he was so close. Thinking quickly, I stood still and when he got to me, he stopped.He sniffed my hand and looked up at me.I took the opportunity and tentatively patted his head and as he leaned into my hand, he calmed down. Everyone was amazed. Don had remembered me.

#dogchronicles #day5

Kimalia, sweet, sweet Kilmalia!

A 6-month old Pitbull, Kimalia, seemed to think she ruled the world. She was consistently harrassing the other dogs in her compound, an adult Bull Mastiff and an adult Rott until the day the Bull Mastiff decided enough was enough. That was the day Kimalia was presented to the clinic.
She had been severely and almost fatally bitten black and blue. When she was presented to the clinic she was bleeding profusely, weak and fragile. Her handlers were terrified. They had tried to stop the fight by pouring water on them and beating them all to no avail. To make matters worse, Kimalia's owner was not around and he was crazy about his dogs. They willed us to try our best and not let her die.

On examining her, we found that she had severe cuts and deep wounds fortunately her jugular vein was not affected. Her bleeding took a while to stop. The superficial cuts healed quickly but the ones on her neck took some time.

She stayed with us for several weeks during which she became our friend. But more so, she became Majesty's (the vet tech who fed her) bestie. She would do anything he commanded. Come. Eat. Sit. Stop. It was amazing to watch. I tried to instruct her a couple of times but my commands fell on deaf ears and she would just turn the other way. Ha! Food and dogs! Inseparable!

Kimalia is a vivaciuos dog- so full of life, always straining her neck to see what was happening in the other kennels. I always looked forward to treating her wounds everyday. It was one of the highlights of each day she spent with us.

After about six weeks, when her human came to pick her, he was so impressed with her healing. We were glad. That day I could only hope that she had learnt the Nigerian tradition of respecting one's elders.

greatJohnson:
I see passion and integrity in your service. keep it up.

Thanks. I will.

miremoses:
O God!the first pic looks awful.
Sis u are a life changer.continue the good works.more strength to you.

Thank you.

#dogchronicles #day4

In 2013, during my service year, I met a dog lover who had owned several dogs while growing up. She got my contact, promised to ring me when she got a puppy and that was it.

Several months passed and I forgot about her. Then I received a call and it was Madam X, she had gotten a puppy and wanted me to check it out. We fixed an appointment and that's how I met Husky.

After several home calls and initial treatments, one fateful day, I was called upon to check on Husky- a vibrant Caucasian Mix. He hadn't been his usual friendly self, he had become withdrawn and would hide from his human anytime she wanted to play with him. I got there and did a general checkup. All parameters were normal. To complicate matters, his appetite was top notch. What could be the problem? I told her to continue to monitor him and let me know if anything changed. I thought it was a behavioural problem and would phase out with time. So I encouraged her children to continue to shower adorable Husky with love and attention. But the attitude persisted.

Two days later I was called upon again. This time he was hypersalivating(drooling excessively). I hurried down, consulted with another colleague and gave atropine (a drug which amongst other things helps to reduce saliva production). Asides the hypersalivation, he was normal still and eating voraciously. "So what could the problem be?" I thought perplexed.

Before I left that day, I observed him eat. His owner had served him with a large-chunked dog can food. I noticed that he struggled to swallow. Then I had a thought, I asked her if she usually gave him chicken bones and she answered in the affirmative. That was when I took ahold of Husky and tried to pry open his mouth, he flinched and resisted. I persisted albeit gently and that's when I saw the bone lodged in-between his lower jaws. My goodness! Poor Husky!!

I quickly called his human's attention, she was shocked. With the help of local sedatives, a Foerster Sponge Forceps and a colleague, I got the bone out. Husky bled a little, I gave analgesics(pain reliever) and he was fine. My client swore NEVER to give any dog CHICKEN BONES again.
Lesson learnt.

Eveezy:
Wow! this is lovely, I always assumed that Nigeria vets only give vaccinations and deworming and at most castration, I always had d idea DT most were quack, I never knew that there are actually passionate Vets like u and our colleagues, Big Thumbs up to u, I dunnoe wat to say.

I av a few questions I would like to ask:
1)A dog like colonel who has 3 legs due to d bite, could he still be bred?
2) Have u had experience with deformed dogs? and is dere usually hope for them?
3) How common have u seen a case of dogs with crooked legs?
4) Is it possible for two healthy dogs to produce a pup wit one of the legs bad?
5) Could DT pup wit the bad leg be bred and produce pups with no bad legs?

Thanks Eveezy.
1. Yes a dog like Colonel can be bred. Such a dog however will need physical support when mounting the female. Also, Artificial Insemination is another option.
2. Yes I have been opportuned to work with some deformed dogs. But the hope is based on what is wrong. Without seeing a case, I can't determine the prognosis.
3. Not very common.
4. Yes it is possible. Such conditions are many times congenital- present from birth but not hereditary.
5. Yes, if the condition is not hereditary.

Magpies:
sorry,please where's your location and please how can I get in touch with you?

Hi Magpies. I'm based in Ibadan. You can reach me on 07055250210. Thanks.

#dogchronicles #day3

Part 2.

Snow took one look at me and turned on his heels. I had recognized that look and knew he was about to bolt so I stretched my arms to grab him but he was too quick for me and off he went. Dear Lord! I ran right after him. Out of the clinic, down the road he ran. By this time one of our vet techs had become aware of what was going on and joined in the chase. Without thinking (lol), Snow bust unto the road, by this time my heart was in my mouth. I was praying, running, panting, signalling road users to please slow down as there was a dog on the run and calling out to Snow, all to no avail. He kept at it. Then all of a sudden, he turned to me and stopped. I didn't even wait a minute before I scooped him up into my hands, hugged him to my chest like a long lost child and just cradled him my heart beating frantically. That was the beginning of our friendship.

I had learnt my lesson. Thereafter, I always tied his leash before our usual morning routines (which now included running round the clinic by the way). I discovered he was a cuddler(oh, how i love cuddlers) so i taught him to sit and he'll come to my office each day to sit and cuddle.

Snow has such a personality.Everyone loved him, well almost everyone. There were these 2 co-workers with hard 'agbero' faces (lol) Snow disliked them so much. Seeing them from afar off he'ld start barking. We would be cuddling then all of a sudden he would stiffen up and start to bark, getting all worked up, when I look up I would see his 'friends'. Nothing these guys did appeased him. They in turn learnt to dislike him as well. It was so funny.

I remember the week he was meant to go home. I kept praying I would be around to give him a final hug. When the big day came, and I saw the driver I started wailing. Good old Snow just took one look at me and jumped into the car without a backward glance.
I guess he missed his pizzas.

djlaqua91:
Wow you really worked wonders on Colonel. It gladens my heart to see people that are passionate our their fellow mammals.

Thank you djlaqua91 for your kind words.

Magpies:
what could have caused this?

Thanks for reading Magpies. A number of things could have caused this. Majorly environmental and genetic factors cause cancer in dogs. Hormones, viruses, nutrition, pesticides have all been known to increase the risk of cancer in dogs.

The most important thing however is to get an early diagnosis and begin treatment as soon as possible.

Thanks again.

#dogchronicles #day3

Snow's human brought him to us late July 2015 because he was going on Summer vacation and needed a place to keep him(Snow).
I felt an attachment to Snow- an almost 2 year old Lhasa/terrier mix- because I had convinced his owner to keep him with us instead of with his(owner's) aged father.

First day with us, Snow refused to eat anything. I wasn't so bothered because with some dogs that is quite normal given a change of environment. By the 2nd day however, I became worried especially given that his handler has told us his meals consisted of Pizza and Kilimanjaro's (a popular eatery in Port Harcourt) rice. Ha!

We tried everything. Wet dog food(can), dry dog food (Kibble)- nothing. He wouldn't eat, he only took a little milk. I checked all his parameters again (we usually check out a dog before boarding to be sure of his health status). I wanted to be sure I didn't miss anything the first day. My colleague suggested that i give appetite booster, I did.
Third day however, I tried another can dog food and he finished it in seconds- Eureka! I ran to tell my colleague the good news. We had finally found the cure to his inappetence(lack of appetite) or so we thought. The very next day, good old Snow was back to his ways and frustrating the heck out of us all.

We thought, brainstormed and then one day I bought rice from a road side vendor and gave Snow and he finished it in minutes but we didn't rejoice yet. The next day, I did the same, rewarded him with 2 pieces of meat(instead of one) and it was gone in minutes as well (though in all fairness to Snow, he ate the meat pieces first, lol) that was when we jubilated. Finally!!!

Let me take you back to the 2nd day he spent with us.You see as my practice is, when I get to work most mornings, I go round all the kennels, greet each dog personally, give them a pat on the head, dance with the ones that are in the mood to, scold the mean ones, cuddle and tickle others etc. So this day,as I opened Snow's Kennel to do the usual, Snow jumped out, took one look at me and turned on his heels.

End of Part 1.

#dogchronicles #day2

Colonel, a 1 year old male Rottweiler came to us on 12/12/15. He had been severely wounded/bitten in a dog attack from 2 other dogs. To make matters worse, he wasn't presented to the clinic until about a week afterwards by which time, the wound on his left hind limb was infested by maggots.
Colonel stayed with us for more than 3months. We battled to save the limb, unfortunately necrosis had set in and Colonel eventually lost a part of the limb.
Colonel is one of the top 10 agressive dogs I've ever met. He had previously bitten a staff member and almost bit my boss too. He was definitely a challenge.
After a month and a half of daily dressing, feeding, love and care however, we became friends, more like pals. If he felt anyone was a threat to me, that person was dead meat. With his three legs, he will wobble to the front of his kernel and bark so much and so loud like the gates of hell were falling on him. Oh Colonel!
Did I mention that Colonel could sleep for Africa? In the most awkward position? He would sleep on his dorsum(back), his head twisted towards the floor and his legs raised high in the air and just lie still.The first time he pulled that stunt on me, I was so scared, I thought he was dead.I jangled his kernel door and screamed his name, only for him to lazily turn his head and look at me like, "What's the problem ma'am?" I laughed in relief. Yes, only Colonel!
Colonel never gave up not in the face of seemingly endless antibiotic injections and pain. He endured. I loved watching his healing, it was truly transformative.
I love you, Colonel.

Today I start a series called #dogchronicles.

First off has to be Action. Action was an 8-month old Rottweiler. I remember I first met him when he came in for his routine ARV (AntiRabies Vaccination) at 3 months. He was an active little pup who hadn't begun to show the aggressiveness that Rotts are usually known for. So imagine my surprise when he came in a few months later with a tumour on his right hind limb.
It was obvious to all that he was in so much pain yet he still had a cheerful disposition.
Unfortunately, tests carried out revealed that the tumour was malignant and his human opted to have him put to sleep.
I will never forget that day. It was the 31st of December, 2015. You see, Action was the first dog I euthanized and even though it was painless and quick, I cried and his handler cried as well.
I will never forget.
Action you are fondly missed.

Today I start a series called #dogchronicles.

First off has to be Action. Action was an 8-month old Rottweiler. I remember I first met him when he came in for his routine ARV (AntiRabies Vaccination) at 3 months. He was an active little pup who hadn't begun to show the aggressiveness that Rotts are usually known for. So imagine my surprise when he came in a few months later with a tumour on his right hind limb.
It was obvious to all that he was in so much pain yet he still had a cheerful disposition.
Unfortunately, tests carried out revealed that the tumour was malignant and his human opted to have him put to sleep.
I will never forget that day. It was the 31st of December, 2015. You see, Action was the first dog I euthanized and even though it was painless and quick, I cried and his handler cried as well.
I will never forget.
Action you are fondly missed.

Corn99:
Drgbaks pls i need ur urgent attention

Hi Corn99. I'm sorry about your dog's deteriorating health. Kindly send an email to gliters4jc@yahoo.com and we'll go from there.
Would expect your mail. Thanks

kindredspirit:
I use a Z30 and I subscribed yesterday via Comonth to 777. Your inability to subscribe could have been due to network issues. You might want to try again until you succeed.

You can visit the thread below to ask questions. It is dedicated to BB10 issues.

https://www.nairaland.com/1241247/blackberry-10-devices-home-z10/544

Thanks was able to do it finally

Hello all, please I use a blackberry Z3 and I usually do the 3g for 1k bis plan. But yesterday I tried to subscribe but couldn't. I usually, use the code, *777*12#. I later sent Comonth to 777, still no way, the message was even rejected . I've been getting this message, USSDC: ESME unreachable. Please what does it mean and what can I do. Thank you house. Please, help a sister out.

Hello all, please I use a blackberry Z3 and I usually do the 3g for 1k bis plan. But yesterday I tried to subscribe but couldn't. I usually, use the code, *777*12#. I later sent Comonth to 777, still no way, the message was even rejected . I've been getting this message, USSDC: ESME unreachable. Please what does it mean and what can I do. Thank you house. Please, help a sister out.